Keyport High School is a four-year public high school in Keyport, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, operated as the lone secondary school of the Keyport Public Schools. Students from Union Beach attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Union Beach School System.Keyport High School 2016-17 Report Card Narrative , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 13, 2018. "Keyport High School, a four year comprehensive high school, serves both the Keyport and Union Beach communities."Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Union Beach, N.J.; Waterfront Borough Making a Comeback", The New York Times, May 5, 2002. Accessed February 13, 2018. "Most Union Beach students go on to the 523-student Keyport High School in the neighboring borough of Keyport. A handful of students are accepted into Red Bank Regional High School, after passing admissions tests to its three specialized programs: visual and performing arts; information technology; and finance." The existing three-story building was constructed in 1927.Martin, Patti. "Keyport High School may be small in size, but huge in unity; Many students consider the educational institution a home-away-from-home", Asbury Park Press, March 30, 2011. Accessed November 15, 2011. "Constructed in 1927, the three-story building is home to 530 eighth through 12th graders. 'Red Raider' fever abounds not only at the school but spills over to the next door central School."
As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 372 students and 33.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1. There were 134 students (36.0% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 29 (7.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Keyport High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History The high school opened for the 1927–28 school year with a building constructed at a cost of $180,000 (equivalent to $ million in ), at which time students from Raritan Township (since renamed as Hazlet) began attending the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.Annual Report of the State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education of New Jersey, 1933, p. 128. New Jersey Department of Education, 1933. Accessed April 7, 2022. "During the school year 1927-28 the Keyport High School was housed with the elementary grades in a three-story building in which eight classes were on part time. During that year a new high school was erected at the cost of $180,000 and the high school pupils of Keyport and tuition pupils received from neighboring districts including Raritan Township have occupied the new building since September 1, 1928." By 1931, the school had 132 out-of-district students in attendance, including 62 from Union Beach, 47 from Raritan Township and 21 from Holmdel Township.Hoyle, Ross. "Keyport Has 132 Tuition Pupils; Union Beach Sends Largest Delegation, Marlboro, Smallest - Total Grows", Asbury Park Press, November 23, 1931. Accessed April 7, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "There are 132 tuition students attending Keyport high school.... The school district that leads in the number of tuition students is Union Beach, with 62 enrolled. Raritan township is second with 47. Holmdel comes next with 21, Madison sends two pupils and one pupil comes from Marlboro."
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 216th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 226th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 249th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 265th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 22, 2011. The school was ranked 207th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
Athletics The Keyport High School Red RaidersKeyport High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in Division B Central of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020. The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. With 285 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group I for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 75 to 476 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The school's co-op team with Henry Hudson Regional was classified by the NJSIAA as Group I South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 185 to 482 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Keyport High School's interscholastic sports include: football, basketball, cheerleading for football/basketball, field hockey, wrestling, baseball, softball, track and field, cross country, indoor track, soccer, and tennis. The school participates as the host school / lead agency for joint cooperative girls soccer, boys / girls volleyball and wrestling teams with Henry Hudson Regional High School, while Henry Hudson is the host school for cross country running, boys / girls tennis and winter track teams. Keyport is also the lead agency / host school for joint field hockey and football teams with Keansburg High School. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.NJSIAA Spring Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
The football program, led by Coach Michael "Chic" Ciccoteli is probably the school's most notable. For the 2002-03 the team was "On the Road," as the home field was under construction. The Keyport Red Raiders went on to play an undefeated season and win their state championship. Every game was won except the championship, giving the team a 21–1 record for the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons. The football team has won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional championship in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1998, 1999 and 2002.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022. The 1992 team finished the season with a 9–2 record after scoring the lone touchdown of the game in a 6–2 win against Dunellen High School for the Central Jersey Group I championship."Union gets it done against Randolph", The Record, December 6, 1992. Accessed January 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Senior fullback Odell Reevey carried 25 times for 111 yards including a 10-yard burst for the game's only touchdown leading Keyport to a 6-2 victory over Dunellen for the Group 1 championship."Fortuna, John. "Keyport's defense produces big effort", Asbury Park Press, December 6, 1992. Accessed January 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "While the Keyport defense swarmed about, Carter, especially in the second half, the Red Raiders' senior backfield tandem of Odel Reevey and James Scott combined for 201 yards rushing as Keyport pounded its way to a 6-2 victory over Dunellen for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Central Jersey Group I championship. The title is the third for Keyport (9-2) in six years." The team won the Central Jersey, Group I state sectional title in 1999 with a 21–0 shutout of South River High School.Central, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 27, 2007. The team repeated in 2002 with a 37–6 win against South River High School.2002 Football - Central, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 27, 2007.
The boys' basketball team took the Group II state championship in 1933, winning by a score of 26–22 in the championship game against a Cranford High School team that came into the finals with a 21-game winning streak.NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020."Cranford Repulsed Again", The Record, March 20, 1933. Accessed February 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Long winning streaks and state tournaments don't jibe, as for as Cranford is concerned. Last year Cranford possessed a 35-game string, and had it blasted to bits by Carteret in the semi-final round. On Saturday a fast Keyport outfit took its place beside Carteret by flashing a sensational second-half rally that toppled Seth Weekley's combination in the Group 2 finale by 26 to 22. The defeat brought an end to a 21-game skein held by Cranford." In 2004, the team won the Central Jersey Group I sectional championship, topping Piscataway Technical High School 53–40 in the final game of the tournament.2004 Boys Basketball - Central, Group I, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 27, 2007.
The baseball team won the Central Jersey Group II sectional title in 1961.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The team won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional championship in 2001 with a 10–0 win over Highland Park High School.2001 NJSIAA Baseball - Central, Group I , New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 27, 2007.
The field hockey team won the Central Jersey, Group I state sectional title in 1978 and 1979.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.